Tag Rant Cast

After an extended festive break Ed & Paul have five games to review, including a disappointing run of results in both league and cup before the turn of the year. That changed with United’s victory over Everton at Goodison Park and an FA Cup win against Derby County.

Two wins in a week following last weekend’s derby-day defeat, yet neither quite got Jose Mourinho’s side back on track. With the Premier League title race all but over, United’s victories over Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion felt as flat as the Reds’ performance.

This pod would have been a lot more fun had Ed & Paul known about José Mourinho’s Manchester City dressing room incursion and the subsequent 20-man brawl. As it is, there’s a downbeat tone after the Blues comfortably beat United at Old Trafford. It leaves an 11-point gap at the top of the Premier League and the title probably heading towards the Etihad.

Well, that’s better. The narrative surrounding José Mourinho’s side had become a little negative, not least because of United’s defeat at Stamford Bridge last month. Two resounding victories at Watford and then Arsenal have changed all that.

It has been a busy fortnight since the last Rant Cast. José Mourinho’s side lost at Stamford Bridge – again – the manager criticised the fans – again – and everybody was bored by the international break – again.

Victory for José Mourinho’s side against Tottenham Hotspur, so why was the United manager so animated post-match? Ed & Paul look back on a crucial victory at Old Trafford, together with games against Benfica, Swansea City and Huddersfield.

You wait years for a 4-0 to turn up and then a whole bunch come along all at once. This week Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace became the latest victim of Manchester United’s favourite scoreline. It was so easy that José Mourinho’s men barely got out of first gear.